A while back I watched a 1998 movie, Deep Impact, with Robert Duvall and Tea Leoni. The movie was about an asteroid, the size of New York that was heading for Earth in true “Armageddon style.”

America decided to send up a spaceship to destroy the monstrous asteroid but they failed. However, they finally succeeded, at least, in busting up the asteroid into two pieces: one smaller piece, and another larger piece, but both of them were still heading for Earth. There was just too much velocity to side track it.

They all knew that their destruction was eminent so they devised a plan to save one-million people, two-hundred thousand of which were doctors, scientists, and the like. They ran a lottery for the remaining eight-hundred thousand.

The asteroid’s smallest piece eventually crashed into the Atlantic Ocean just offshore and the subsequent tidal wave destroyed the Eastern Seaboard and that destruction went as deep as Ohio, if I remember right. The water eventually receded to the original shoreline. The crew, sealing their deaths, flew the spaceship into the heart of the larger piece, destroying it and thereby saving the world.

Tah-Dah – The End. However, one spot toward the end had a ‘deep impact’ on me.

During the roundup process of those who won the lottery, people talked about what they should take?” To me personally, the subliminal sub-text was what’s important? The people knew that the prospect of certain and eminent death puts things into perspective ‘r-r-real quick.’ They would be safe where they were going until the Earth healed from the affects of the asteroid but when they returned, man would have to start all over again. So. . .what should they take? What was important? Today presents us with the same scenario. What would you save for posterity?

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. [1 Peter 4:7 KJV]

Each of us faces our own eminent destruction, the destruction, and death of the flesh. I wonder how many of us, including me, would live our lives differently knowing that we didn’t have much longer to live. I would imagine that it would be hard to know we only had six plus years left, or a year left, or maybe a month, a week, or even a day. Nonetheless, the eminent proximity of that exact moment would certainly exacerbate our stress levels, to say the least. Would our lives, perspective, and actions change if we knew? What would be important to you?

I look at the world and see millions of people who need to hear about Jesus, some for the first time. I see strife, broken friendships, busted marriages, greed, a run amuck government, and schisms in the body galore. All the bickering among the brethren saddens me – eternal security, no eternal security; baptism by dunking, baptism by sprinkling; pre trib, mid trib, post trib – my goodness. Some even worry about and criticize the way others worship God. May God help us all? UGH!

It finally dawned on me that not only was individual death eminent, but our metaphorical asteroid is about to hit Earth (the tribulation and Armageddon) and we are looking at that moment square in the face. It is certain and eminent. I have to ask myself, with the eminent rapture of the church (our metaphorical spaceship) is at hand and the end of the age is close by, what’s important? Peter touched on what’s important when he said, “. . .and watch unto prayer,” ultimately meaning God’s will. I feel that the last move of God will be that of prayer. For those who could possibly be left behind on that day, Christ left us with His will and with just one job, “. . .Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

Praise God however, that when our asteroid hits (the tribulation and Armageddon), God also has a plan to take us away and keep us safe. Like the crew who sacrificed their lives and flew their ship into the asteroid to save the world, God sent His one and only son to die on the Cross to save the world. He will then evacuate His saved children through the rapture of His church. However, instead of saving just a million, there’s room for everybody at rapture time. God is not willing that one should perish (2 Peter 3:9). However, there will still be a lottery. That lottery will not only be His call to us for our individual salvation, but will be our acceptance of Him into our lives. Salvation is the ticket for boarding. Have you got your ticket? Christ is coming for all of us who believe and in the twinkling of an eye we will all

”Poof!”
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